A bald eagle is doing much better, thanks to the expertise of his caregivers in Delaware.

The eagle has been rehabilitating at the Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark.

He was found in Washington D.C. earlier this week, hurt and struggling to breathe.

The rescue's executive director Lisa Smith says he's flying a little, but he's not ready to be released.

She says as the bald eagle population grows, so do the numbers in need of their care.

"We don't always know the cause of injury, why they were brought to us, but sometimes they were hit by cars. Bald eagles and turkey vultures and large birds need some time to take off. So if you just slow down, you might save a life," Smith said.

Smith says there was a time when they only saw a few bald eagles a year. She says last year they treated 61 and they may top that number this year.